NEWS VOICES: Reflecting on the solemnity of Nativity's final Mass

Today Roger DuPuis sits down with Robert Collado to discuss the final Mass at Nativity of Our Lord Church in South Scranton, which Robert covered for a recent story in English and Spanish.

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ROGER: [Bells ringing] I'm Roger DuPuis, and this is News Voices. What you just heard are the bells of Nativity of Our Lord church on Orchard Street in Scranton. After decades of worship, celebration and sacrifice, the parish held its final Mass last Sunday, closing the doors of a sanctuary that for generations had been a spiritual home to thousands in South Scranton. Today, I'll be talking with WVIA News multimedia and bilingual reporter Robert Collado, who covered that Mass. [Bells ringing] So, Robert, thank you for being with us today.

ROBERT: Oh, my pleasure. Thank you very much for having me.

ROGER: So, had you ever been to Nativity before you went to this assignment the other day?

ROBERT: I did not. That was my first time going there. You know, I'm originally from Hazleton. So, you know, going to Scranton was like a whole new experience for me. And you know, that was my first time at Nativity.

ROGER: OK. And what was the atmosphere like when you walked into the church?

ROBERT: Well, it was a very sentimental and sacred atmosphere. Everyone was in reverence. Everyone was, you know, listening to what was being said. The music was amazing. It was a very solemn moment. And I think, you know, everyone can feel that inside the church.

ROGER: Absolutely. Now there is a very large Spanish-speaking population at Nativity, right?

ROBERT: That's right, yeah. I was able to met a few of them. And, you know, they are really dedicated to being part of the community — and especially because of the history of Nativity assisting refugees. I saw a lot of people from Vietnam that were helped by the church members when they came as refugees to Scranton.

ROGER: And you know, in your story, there were people clapping and singing, but there were also people hugging and, I think, crying too, right?

ROBERT: There was a lot of sentiment going on there, and, you know, there were people crying. You can see people on their knees ... saying how sad it was for them to see the church closing. So you can see people ... you know, their faces can reflect what they were feeling at that moment.

ROGER: It's always a little difficult to cover a story in an environment like this, right? Because you don't, you don't want to be disruptive, and what's happening is so, so emotional, right?

ROBERT: I know! I was just thinking about it ... I was like, oh my goodness, should I ask any questions, because it was a moment so important for those people that I didn't think it was appropriate for me to, like, interrupt them at any moment. So I was just basically looking at everything, standing there and, like, watching the whole momentum they were living together. And I think it was, as I say, a very, very sad moment for everyone, but it especially was a very sacred moment.

ROGER: But you did talk to people. There were folks who were who were willing to speak with you about their their past history with the church and what comes next.

ROBERT: So we talked to several people about it. And one of them, I remember, mentioned that he was a member for 11 years at the church. And you know, he was definitely trying to be as focused as he can, but it was a very difficult moment for him. He said that he was there for 11 years since he immigrated from Mexico. He was a Mexican immigrant. And, you know, one of the things that was, like, most important to me that he mentioned is that they were leaving that church that day — you know, that building — but they were still going to be, you know, in the community.

ROGER: And that's an important thing, right? So even though this building is closing, the parish is still going to be able to meet at St. Teresa of Calcutta on Prospect Avenue.

ROBERT: That's right.

ROGER: Thank you, Robert, it was good to talk to you, sir.